Wildfire in Fort McMurray could force foreign temporary workers out of Canada

Advocacy groups say temporary foreign workers displaced by the raging wildfire engulfing Fort McMurray are at even greater risk than the rest of those who were forced to flee the northern Alberta city.

They say many of them could face an immediate accommodation crisis, since they often lack friends or family in the area to put them up.

A more pressing concern, however, is whether or not they will be allowed to stay in Canada once the blaze is extinguished.

Advocates say those who obtain a temporary foreign worker permit are tied to a single employer whose name is listed on the document, and if that employer no longer has work to offer, the migrants will have no choice but to leave the country.

They’re calling on the federal government to make allowances for those workers under the circumstances.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said they are closely monitoring the situation in Fort McMurray and “assessing whether and when special measures will be necessary to address the needs of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and temporary residents in the region.”